University of Southampton to help drive UK and Japan partnership

The University of Southampton will be represented among the keynote speakers at the launch of Innovation is GREAT in Tokyo this Friday (27 February).

The GREAT campaign, which is aimed at building British prosperity through innovation and creative business partnerships, will be launched by HRH The Duke of Cambridge' during his visit to Japan.

Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Open Data Institute and Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Southampton, is among the six speakers who will share their experiences of embracing innovation as a driver for product development, business growth and collaboration, to help launch the year-long campaign.

Professor Sir Shadbolt's speech will cover how data is changing society. He said:

“We live in an age of superabundant information. The Internet and World Wide Web have been the agents of this revolution. Data science is emerging as an area of competitive advantage for individuals, companies, universities, public and private sector organisations and nation states.

“It is a privilege to be showcasing the UK’s world-leading work in this area. At the Open Data Institute, which I co-founded with Sir Tim Berners-Lee, we are showing how open data published on the Web is improving the efficiency of our public services and giving rise to open innovation. Whilst at the University of Southampton our research in Web Science helps us understand how we can use the Web to solve problems beyond any individual or single organisation.”

Tim Hitchens, HM Ambassador for Japan said:

“I’m delighted to confirm that Prince William will join us at this event. We will formally launch our Innovation is GREAT campaign, which is a year-long programme of activities and events designed to celebrate and promote partnership between the United Kingdom and Japan.

“The campaign will showcase and stimulate UK-Japan business, research and education collaborations that tackle global problems and improve lives through innovation.”